Reaching Out To You
by The Doe Eyed Girl
Summary: She was a lost, useless and hopeless case. So they sent her to the World Of The Living for a better life. But what happens when a familiar strawberry returns to claim back the Rukia he once knew?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there.:)**

**I know its been weeks since I last updated. Thing is, I have deleted the earlier version of _Reaching Out To You_ as I was thoroughly dissatisfied with the way I had written it. The first few chapters would make me cringe. Hence I decided to revamp this story completely. It'll be somewhat similar, yet different in several aspects.**

**So here you go!**

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><p>"All finally done!"<p>

I cocked up my head to see the 16 year old Kakashi grinning madly at me, hands deftly holding a thin bunch of sheets. Namely, the list of candidates appearing for the inter-school karate competition this year. It had been about two hours since we, Kakashi and I, had been marking the candidates as per the grades and points allotted to them by the dojo instructor.

Light amusement filled me. Had this mediocre task been so tedious for the brunette before me?

"Kuchiki-senpai!" he thrust the sheets in my direction. I could just see the way his hands were itching to get rid of them.

Don't get me wrong. Kakashi is a very hardworking junior and possibly the best assistant one can get. Politeness, obedience, dedication….name it. He has all the qualities that make up for an orderly subordinate. But when you have a girl waiting outside for you with a very visible frown on her face and death written in her eyes, well…if you are a guy, you know what's more important for you. And your health.

I glanced at the wooden doors of the dojo, the silhouette of the pink haired Sakura present near it. Even from this distance I could see the tapping movement of her left foot, a little too harsh to be casual.

I stood up from my chair, almost immediately falling back.

God, my body was _so_ sore. I don't know why this happens every time. An hour of being in the same position can make me go stiff all over and I literally have to stretch out to release all the kinks in my joints. And so that's what I did, before collecting the bunch from Kakashi and filing them in the pink folder on the chair beside mine.

Mind you, that folder was Kakashi's. Not that I detest the colour pink. I like it quite a lot.

Kakashi hurriedly flung his bag across his shoulders, before dusting his pants. He adjusted his bag a little before looking back at me.

"Ano, senpai….can I ask you something?"

I smiled at him. "Sure. What is it?"

_Another smile, gliding over unchartered waters._

Mild curiosity entered his eyes. "Why didn't Arisawa-senpai show up?"

"She had to catch up on her sleep." I answered without skipping a beat.

He looked at me with a mixture of sympathy and subtle humour. "So she made you-"

"Of course not." I interrupted him. "I volunteered for it, and she agreed."

His eyes widened noticeably, a little too noticeably in my opinion. "Oh! Okay, so now…" he hesitantly glanced at the doors, from where the sound of foot-tapping had increased manifold, before looking back at me. "If you don't need my help any more…."

I laughed lightly. "No I don't. It's already eight, and school's about to begin. So bye Kakashi."

"Bye Kuchiki-senpai! Thank you for all your hard work!" and he was out before I even had the chance to say anything more.

I continued looking at the door for a moment or two before reverting back my gaze to the contents lying on the chair. Sighing a little softly, I placed the folder in the bag before picking it up and making my way out.

The weather was predictably cool. I mean, it was already November end, and Karakura was experiencing late autumn, if the rouge leaves embroidering the school grounds were anything to go by. Soft drifts of the cool breeze caressed my skin, making me close my eyes and delve in their touch.

It is at times like this when I feel I am the happiest.

"Kuchiki-san!"

My eyes flew open as I abruptly turned around, a little disconcerted by the sudden intrusion of voice in the pervading calm. But my reflexes relaxed and I smiled as my eyes landed on the approaching silhouette of Inoue Orihime, waving at me from the school gates. It was then that I noticed our friends trailing behind her, albeit more calmly.

"Kuchhhhiiikkiiiii-saaaaaaaaaaan!"

If you count out Keigo, that is.

I calmly stepped to the side as Keigo whizzed past me, straight into the tree a few feet behind us.

I smiled at him in the sweetest manner possible, placing a hand on my right cheek for the effect. "A very good morning to you too, Asano-kun!"

"K-kuchiki-san…i-is as agile…as...a-always." He managed to wheeze out, sliding down the bark of the tree.

I felt a little guilty and sympathetic. Since the time I've been introduced to Keigo Asano, I've known him to be the one always on the receiving end of everyone's violent tactics. But I couldn't allow him to molest me now, could I?

"Asano-kun, you should really give up on it already."

"It's not like you telling him this will help."

"Hn."

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the voices and looked up to see Mizuiro looking at Asano's fallen form curiously, Ishida adjusting his glasses and Chad…standing there. Like, just standing.

Mizuiro looked up at me and smiled. "Good morning. Kuchiki-san."

I reciprocated with a slight bow. "Morning, Kojima-san."

"Kuchiki-san!" Orihime's voice flitted through my ears again as my eyes rounded on her. "Ohayo! Did you try preparing the recipe of the bean-paste coated pasta I sent you over last night?"

It took every ounce of my strength to stop myself from blanching then and there. Judging from everyone else's suddenly stiff posture, I knew I wasn't the only one struggling.

I smiled apologetically at her, scratching my throat a little. "Uh….I…um, uh, the cat!"

Even Inoue looked stupefied.

I nodded vigorously. "The neighbour's cat broke in through my window and shred it to pieces!"

Ishida's skeptical look showed just how convincing my story was.

"Oh." Inoue pouted, looking disappointed. "I was hoping you'd try it out and bring some to school…."

…..Okay, maybe I am not _that_ horrible a liar.

But then again, it's Inoue. The girl who believes Pamela Anderson's assets are real.

"Oh Hime!" I almost jumped as Chizuru suddenly appeared before us, crushing Inoue to her body. "When you make a face like that, how can I-oomph!"

And just like she fell face-first on the ground, Tatsuki's foot grinding her face deeper. She glared at Chizuru's red head.

"Don't you _dare_ complete that sentence, you pervert!"

Chizuru's muffled pleas were inaudible to all.

"Of course I have the right to protect her honour from the likes of you!"

Or maybe not to Tatsuki. Said girl glanced at me, her frown momentarily disappearing and a smirk replacing it.

"By the way, I heard from Kakashi on my way here. Thanks."

I half-smirked, half-smiled back at her, before taking out that folder from my bag and handing it over to her. "Anytime."

Tatsuki and I are not the greatest of friends. If anything, she's the person I least get along with. But in a way, I like her. Maybe because she's straightforward and unpretentious.

Her smirk dissipated into slight disgust as she took it from my hand. "Pink? Ugh."

I merely shrugged a little. "Can't help it. Kakashi fetched it."

"Sometimes I feel that boy- hey!" Chizuru had thrown back Tatsuki's foot, briefly making her lose her balance, before approaching me. She clasped my hands in hers.

"Oh Kuchiki-san! I am sure you won't shun me away from _your_ lovelies!"

Oh boy. As if Keigo wasn't enough.

"HEY! You can't touch her, alright! I first set my eyes on Kuchiki-san!"

…..Yeah. Lady luck loves me.

"She isn't yours!"

"She isn't yours either!"

"She ignores you!"

"She doesn't pamper you either!"

"Pervert!"

"Perverted lesbian!"

Chizuru abruptly made a dash for Inoue, only to be stopped by Tatsuki's headlock. "Where do you think you're going, Chizuru?" With her left foot, she brought down Keigo, who had been attempting to hug Inoue.

The trio started yelling obscenities at each other.

"Let me go Arisawa!"

"Yes yes, let me go Tatsuki! Hime is mine!"

"Shut up! You both perverts are getting no where near her!"

"I bet you want Hime all to yourself!"

"I am not a pervert to do that!"

"At least let me go to the lovely Kuchiki-san!"

"You shut your mouth, Keigo!"

"Yeah! Hime and Kuchiki-san are both mine!"

I noticed Inoue helplessly looking on, while Ishida shook his head in an embarrassed manner. Chad and Mizuiro stood there, the latter busily texting away on his cell phone.

Another gust of cool breeze gushed by, making strands of my chin-length hair flutter lightly. I pushed back the flying strands a little, noticing the dead leaves gathered at my feet. I bent down to remove them.

My name is Rukia Kuchiki. I am a 17 year old teen, studying in Karakura High. I live all alone in a house located in the Karakura suburb. Apparently I have a distant uncle who keeps sending me money regularly for all my expenses.

As is evident, these people are my friends- the busty Inoue Orihime, the perverted Keigo Asano, the tomboyish Tatsuki Arisawa, the impassive Sado Yasutora (they call him Chad), the smart Ishida Uryu, the…uh….Inoue-addicted Chizuru, and the gadget freak Mizuiro.

Or at least that's what they say.

Thing is, I am an amnesiac. Like, I don't remember anything. I don't remember being born, brought up, riding my first cycle, experiencing my first snowfall, crying from my first bruise, making my first friends, meeting these guys…nope. I remember nothing.

Its like, my life begins from the day I met these people a month back. The only memories I have begin from that day, when I woke up in a hospital to the concerned face of Inoue Orihime. Apparently I had a car accident, which bumped my head the wrong way.

I could have lived with it, you know. I could have lived with the fact that I remember nothing of the past, and 17 years of my life are just gone. Of course all of us have that nagging curiosity regarding our past, but then there's always the other way of seeing things. It would have been like having a second chance at living. It would have been like starting life afresh, leaving everything behind.

Except that it isn't.

There is this void within- this huge, gaping dark abyss which is undefined, but there. I feel like at one time I was filled to the brim with something- and now it's been completely emptied, leaving behind a hole in its wake.

I make sure nothing crosses on to the void.

Every smile that I smile glides over the unchartered waters within. Every laugh that I laugh grazes superficially over the dark abyss within.

No, I am not fake. I don't force myself to smile, laugh, chuckle, or be happy. It's just that, none of my actions have much feeling within them.

Because for every emotion that I feel, the void opens up, with the emotion filling a fraction of it. And then when the feeling passes, the void remains, its vacuum creating a very prominent empty sensation within. If I feel really happy, the emptiness within opens up and a part of it is filled, giving me the sense of contentment. But then the moment passes, the feeling vanishes, and I am left with this huge hole within, hungrily sucking and longing for more.

Sometimes so prominent, that I find it difficult to breathe.

Maybe, at some point of time, I was so full of emotions, feelings, memories and thoughts that now their sudden absence has left behind just a former shell of who I was.

Even I feel like remembering everything. I don't want this empty sensation within; I want to recall everything.

But the thing is, none of those memories ever come back to me. For the few times that I've braved myself and tried concentrating real hard to get back some memory, some flashback at the risk of intensifying that void, I have failed. Anything I look at, I concentrate on- nothing happens. Only the feeling of that null within re-emerges.

Maybe movies have influenced my rationality.

And so, I try not to get involved in anything on an emotional level. I get irritated, happy, sad, excited- but it's all so superficial, so afloat a sea I dare not peep in.

And so, the mask remains. The façade is fixed. It's not to deceive people, but to protect myself. To protect myself from that void within, ready to consume me. To protect myself from the sensation of that void, and just continue on by keeping its presence curtained, till I get back my memories.

Or at least hope to.

"Kuchiki-san!"

I almost started, eyes refocusing on the dead leaves in my hand. I blinked rapidly before looking behind to see Inoue being dragged away by Tatsuki.

"Let's go to class Kuchiki-san!"

Ishida was looking at me with mild curiosity. "What are you doing, Kuchiki-san?"

I immediately got up, dusting my skirt and flashing him an embarrassed smile. "Ah, nothing! Let's go!"

He didn't make out much of it, just shrugging his shoulders and following the rest. Chizuru and Keigo were angrily stomping away; Chad and Ishida were impassively trailing behind, while Mizuiro was again glancing at the screen of his cell phone.

I smiled lightly at the group. This was my new life. This was my equilibrium. And I would let nothing spoil it.

I turned around to look back one last time at the school grounds, the remaining leaves on the branches swaying slightly before falling back to absolute stillness.

And there, for a moment, I saw a smile, a bright blur, and an unfamiliarly familiar warmth settled in, coursing through every fiber of my being.

And just as abruptly it left, leaving no proof of its ever being there.

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><p><strong>I would like to thank all those people who reviewedalerted/Favorited the last chapter of the older version. A big thanks to all!:)**

**And a Merry Christmas to all!**

**Next Update: Saturday.**


	2. The Beginning Of Everything

**A special thanks **to _Aeris1234510, BlondeEmo ,xblossom babex, ICHIRUKI LOVER, Himiko Areess, dustoflove, allylalina, Zangetsu50, wordAnihilator, thmarth, Playmate11, Shizuka _**for adding the story to Favourites/Alerts!**

**Unidentified- I started it all over because the earlier one was dissatisfactory and not as good as I'd liked it to be.**

**A special thanks to Hidden Masked for the review! Your review was very very very encouraging, and I am glad you support my decision.:) Thanks a ton!**

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><p>Occasional drifts of the breeze circulated round the dome shaped structures of the Seiretei, creating inconsequential dust storms which would settle into nothing after a few promising moments. The sun glimmered brightly in the otherwise spotlessly blue sky, its morning rays warming the entire stretch of Seiretei. Light hustle-bustle and murmurs could be heard from all the division barracks, black kimono clad figures sporadically rushing to and fro.<p>

It was another day at Seiretei.

Suddenly, a white light appeared in the sky. It expanded into a rectangular stretch, before losing all its brightness and materializing into a pair of wooden sliding doors.

Most shinigami, who'd momentarily stopped to gauge what they considered a possible invasion, relaxed their fighting stances and bent down in a polite bow as the wooden doors slid open and a hell butterfly fluttered out, followed by the white haori clad figure of Ichigo Kurosaki.

Said orange head blinked before catching the sight of all the shinigami subordinates knelt down on one knee.

"Welcome back, Captain Kurosaki." They echoed in chorus.

He quickly shun-poed onto the ground, coming to a stop before all. The infamous scowl eased a little as he scratched the back of his head embarrassedly. "Oi, you all can stop doing that."

"Exactly. He doesn't deserve that respect." A voice sneered nastily.

The scowl assumed its rightful position just as Ichigo looked up. "Ikkaku." He acknowledged with some annoyance. Ikkaku stood a few feet away from him, amidst the group of crouched shinigami.

"So the Fifth division captain's back from Hueco Mundo, huh? Seems like those low class Adjuchas gave you a hard time." Ikkaku smirked, haughtily crossing his arms across his chest.

Ichigo's lips twitched as he tried reigning in his annoyance. "Careful there, Ikkaku. I thought I heard some jealousy."

"Che. Why would I be jealous?"

"Because you didn't get the chance to slay a huge hoard of hollows for fun." Now Ichigo was smirking vindictively.

Ikkaku growled. "Watch what you say, _berry_."

Ichigo's smile dropped. "What did you just say?"

"Exactly what you heard, _berry_."

"Seems like _baldy_ here is sulking." Ichigo commented maliciously, a vein twitching on his forehead.

In a flash Ikkaku's naginata* was grinding against Ichigo's Zangetsu, their heady glares fixed on each other.

"I said," Ikkaku mustered through gritted teeth, simultaneously pushing back Ichigo, "my head's shaven and I am NOT bald!"

"And I am saying," Ichigo retorted in an equally fervent tone, pushing back Ikkaku, "my name means 'to protect one thing' and NOT strawberries!"

"First you take back what you said about my head!"

"No, first _you_ take back what you said about my name!"

"WHY? You started this whole thing!"

"LIAR! You came up with the 'berry' thing first!"

"What's happening here?" a very unfriendly sounding voice gruffly interrupted.

Both Ichigo and Ikkaku froze. The shinigami gathered around, who were having a field day watching the onslaught of insults, paled and quickly dispersed in different directions.

The previously heated males gulped a little before slowly turning around to look at Kenpachi, calmly standing a few feet away from them. Surprisingly, Yachiru wasn't perched on his shoulder.

"Uh…oh….well-" "Captain! Uh…we-"

"Were you both fighting?" That piqued interest in his voice was unmistakable.

Ichigo paled considerably. He _so_ did not want to fight Kenpachi. Not now, when he'd finally come back from a tedious month-long mission.

"Taichou!"

And that's when Ichigo turned around to look at his savior. Momo was running towards him, excitedly waving her hands. She finally stopped at an arm's length from him, a big smile gracing her face.

"Hinamori-san?" To say that he was relieved would be an understatement.

"I am so happy to see you again, Kurosaki taichou!" she exclaimed happily, clasping her hands against her chest.

Ichigo smiled a little softly on seeing the enthusiastic woman before him. "Ah. How's the division work been going?"

"Perfectly well, Captain!" she put up two fingers on her forehead in a mock salute. "The paperwork's been handled, the meetings filled in for, and the subordinates looked after! Though it _was_ a little tiring." She ended with a pout.

"Arigatou, Hinamori-san." Ichigo truly felt thankful. Doing heaps of paperwork was definitely not his specialty, nor was supervising amateur and edgy subordinates. Captain meetings were a drag, what with Yamamoto's facial wrinkles deepening with distaste at every captain in turn.

He had secretly been thankful for the mission.

"No problem, Captain!" she grinned brightly at him. Her gaze then fell on the two forgotten people. "Oh, and Captain Kenpachi? Captain Unohana has called you to the Fourth Division quarters."

"Che. Whatever." Kenpachi brushed it off with evident disappointment. How his hands had been itching to have a blood filled battle with Ichigo! But he knew better than to ditch the fourth division captain.

That woman could be scary as hell.

"Let's go Ikkaku."

Said person looked surprised. "Eh? But why me, Captain?"

"Because I said so." If he couldn't get the chance to fight Ichigo, why should Ikkaku get it? "Leave Ichigo alone."

Ichigo sighed with evident relief.

"For now." Kenpachi grinned, a silent promise in his voice.

Ichigo almost choked on that relieved sigh.

Ikkaku pointed an accusing finger in his direction. "Damn right! This isn't over Strawberry!" before letting out an indignant 'hm!' and following Kenpachi's retreating form.

"Captain?" he looked at Hinamori, apparently sizing him up with concerned eyes. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Huh?" he looked about himself. "Uh, I don't think so.."

She smiled at him. "Then you must be tired! Why don't you go to the captain's quarters and rest for a while?"

Ichigo cast a glance around once more. He couldn't put a finger on it, but something was amiss. The atmosphere felt a little… subdued.

He reverted back his gaze to Momo, smiling tiredly. "Sounds good."

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><p>Ukitake stared at the ceiling, body sprawled out on the bed.<p>

"Captain Ukitake." He glanced sideways to see Toushiro standing there, arms crossed across his chest.

Despite the constricting pain within, he managed a smile. "Ah, Captain Hitsugaya! What brings you here?"

"I stopped by to inquire about your health." The white haired prodigy replied, tone carrying a subtle concern. " Are you feeling better?"

Ukitake smiled assuringly. "I feel much better."

A comfortable silence enveloped the two. Ukitake resumed staring back at the ceiling, Toushiro looking at the ground.

"...I heard Kurosaki-kun returned a day back."

Toshiro didn't look up. "Ah."

"...Did anyone tell him?"

There was a silence. Toshiro's brows furrowed a little.

Ukitake's smile faltered, settling into a a placid expression. His eyes lost their light for a moment.

"He'll be told soon." Toshiro stated, noticing Ukitake's expression.

The old Captain smiled wryly. "Ah, that I know he will."

Somehow, the smile didn't reach his eyes.

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><p>Ichigo sighed for the umpteenth time that day.<p>

"What's the matter, captain?" Hinamori asked him, a little worried from within.

He shot her an assuring look. "Nothing. Just a little tired, I guess."

He sure as hell was tired of looking around for Rukia. It had been two days since he'd returned back to the Soul Society, and not a glimpse of her had he caught. Not that he had been looking for her all the while.

But today he had been. They had decided to go back to the World of the Living for a short visit, once he returned from his mission. Not seeing her around the day he returned wasn't surprising, given that she herself was a busy lieutenant. She might have been busy elsewhere, trying to unburden her somewhat ill captain.

But damn, it had been two days, and he still hadn't seen her!

When he tried asking the Thirteenth Division members, they had denied having any knowledge about her whereabouts. He hadn't been able to catch hold of Captain Ukitake, Renji or Byakuya, who were about the first people to know anything pertaining to Rukia's whereabouts. Captain Ukitake was being treated for another violent seizure, Renji was away on a mission to Rukongai and Byakuya…didn't have time for him. Hinamori had mentioned a possibility of Rukia being on a mission. Others had feigned disinterest or ignorance.

Not that he'd asked many people in the first place.

Other than that, he had noticed something else as well: the change in the atmosphere of the Seiretei.

He didn't know why, but there was a strange passiveness clouding the entire Seiretei. Everything and everyone seemed a little off, a little quiet. Despite Hinamori's enthusiasm, Kenpachi's blood thirst, Toshiro's frowns, Yamamoto's booming voice, Shunshui's drunken stunts….he felt as though they all were a little restrained. There hung this anticipation in the air, as if something was about to happen.

He frowned, bringing back his attention to the matter at hand. What was he supposed to do? Go on with his plan without Rukia along?

He contemplated for a few moments before abruptly standing up.

Hinamori, who had been eyeing him all this while, seemed surprised. "Where are you going, sir?"

Ichigo had made up his mind. "Ah, just paying a captain a visit."

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><p>Fiery amber locked with Icy aqua.<p>

"Kurosaki."

"Byakuya."

The noble's eye twitched ever so discreetly. First an unceremonious barging into the Kuchiki manor, demanding an immediate conference with him. And now this disrespectful addressing. The boy was never going to learn his manners, was he?

"What matter of relevance has forced you to impose upon my privacy?"

Ichigo held back a growl. Trust Byakuya to insult him in the most elegant way possible.

"Where is Rukia?" came the immediate demand.

Byakuya sat silent for a few moments. It was about time.

"She's in the Living World."

Ichigo's eyes widened in obvious surprise. "What? She left before me? But we were going to go together!"

"I was not made aware of any such plan." Byakuya injected coldly.

Ichigo ignored him, thinking for a few moments. "Has she been sent for some mission?"

"No."

Ichigo deadpanned. "Damn midget." He murmured under his breath. All this while he'd been looking around for nothing!

"Was it my sister you just addressed?" Byakuya's voice was becoming colder by the minute, though outwardly his face retained its passiveness.

"Of course not!" the last thing he wanted were angry pink petals chasing him around Seiretei. He started getting up. "Well then, I'll be off."

He walked towards the door, momentarily stopping. Again that strangeness in the air.

"Kurosaki."

Ichigo looked at him inquisitively, a little startled.

"I believe you should know why she has been sent there."

Ichigo's ears perked up. _Sent there?_ "Sent there? I thought you said she wasn't on a mission."

"And I stand by it. She has not been sent on a mission."

Ichigo waited patiently. Something about Byakuya's tone was making mild anxiety well up in his stomach.

"She has been permanently relocated to the Living World due to an almost fatal mishap she experienced."

And the manor fell silent, the wind dying down.

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><p><strong>*naginata- Ikkaku's pole-ish weapon is supposed to be a modification of the naginata, a particular weapon.<strong>

**Happy New Year to all!**

**Next Update- Sunday.**


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